Loves Greatest Peril
by Queen Assassin
Summary: The story takes place between Assassins Creed 2, & Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, right before Ezio Auditore is sworn in as a Master Assassin. It may also take place a bit after that, I'm not really sure yet. We find Ezio reluctant to leave Venice because of a mask he was gifted by a mysterious young woman, who has also caught the eye of Cesare Borgia.
1. Prologue

**_Prologue_**

The footsteps pounded on the shingle rooftops as he made his most daring escape. Five guards of the Papal Army chased him down; their swords raised high while archers aimed at him from all sides. A stereotypical smirk from our dashing Assassin leader flashed underneath the cowl of his black attire for a split second as an arrow whizzed by his ear, burying into the side of a building with a heavy twang. He never looked back, nor did he look down as he leapt from the edge of a building to land in a three point crouch on the roof across the street.

The guards stopped short just in time before plummeting to the streets below, cursing the name "Assassino," as he was known as. A few archers continued their assault on the disappearing figure into the Venetian sunset before lowering their crossbows in frustration. Cesare Borgia would have their heads when he learned that once again Ezio Auditore da Firenza had escaped.

..:*:..

"It looks as if I have pissed off the Borgia slime tremendously, to have them send an entire army here to Venice after me," Ezio grinned as he leaned back in his chair inside the safe house, lifting his feet to prop them up on the table while he held his wine tightly in a fist.

La Volpe snickered, while Lorenzo de' Medici clucked his tongue.

"It really is time to get moving to Roma, Venezia is becoming unstable, & it is time for you to accept your position as Master."

Ezio smirked & let the front two legs of his chair drop as he untangled his own legs from the table to set his heavy leather boots on the floor. He stood up & moved over to a shelf built into the wall to pluck a Venetian mask & handled it gingerly. It wasn't the black masquerade mask he had used to blend in during the Carnevale festival. It was feathered, colored in pastel pink & baby blue, trimmed in gold.

"I would stay in Venezia a little longer, friend," Ezio admonished, turning to look over his shoulder at his two associates gathered.

They knew one of his newfound obsessions, besides bringing down the men who ordered his brothers & father killed, was finding the owner to the mask. He knew every courtesan, every thief & every mercenary along with the Assassins & nobles, & even the dwindling Templars that remained. Yet he could not find the owner of the mask, whose cyan eyes & raven black hair plagued his dreams & haunted his memory over & over. It was as if she was a ghost, & a good one at that.

But her mask was real. & if he held his breath for long enough, he could feel the way her hand brushed down his grizzled cheek to caress the scar that slashed through his lips before she disappeared, leaving him with only one clue. A clue that ended in a dead end. Where had she gone? Where had she come from? These questions drilled into his mind as he searched the city streets day & night, always on the hunt for her.

He placed the delicate mask back down carefully before he turned, his black & red cape flashing the multiple weapons strapped to his person in the light the fireplace emitted before he started for the door.

"I will find her," he said loudly, to ease the creeping doubts Lorenzo had crawling up his spine.

La Volpe, a trickster & a thief, only chuckled harder.


	2. Chapter One Twins of Revenge

**_Twins of Revenge_**

Staying out of sight was easy for Gemma & her twin, Gemini. They were raised inside the Creed on the island of Sicily, of which none of the splendor of the Renaissance had truly hit. Bits & pieces here & there, but nothing of consequence.

Not anything like the port of Venice with its bright lights & bright colors. The traditional white of their robes stood out among the flashy colors of the citizens, so they had to be taken to the Tailor to be colored. Gemma had picked Wetlands Ebony, her short skirt & tight low cut corset styled top done in black with trims of red, along with her boots, glove sleeves, & cape. At her belt alongside the large Assassins symbol was a myriad of weapons, from throwing knives & poison darts to a long scepter-looking weapon that looked to be half morning star, half saber when unsheathed, & a long whip with blades sewn into the cord.

Her brother, Gemini, picked the complete opposite of her, going for Wetlands Ivory & colored head to toe in parchment, white & light grey. But the twins were often opposite of each other with most things, except for the love of their Creed & their looks. They were completely identical with raven black hair & bright blue eyes that could almost be considered cyan.

"We really should make ourselves known to the faction here," Gemini said quietly, peering at his sister from underneath his white colored cowl.

"We're not here for the Creed. This is a personal mission. Our fathers murderer was not one of us, nor was he a Templar," Gemma reminded her brother before she looked down at the street below them.

"Then we shouldn't be here, we don't kill civilians." Gemini looked as if he was conflicted with betraying his sister, or betraying their Creed.

"Shh," Gemma hushed him as she leaned further down on the edge of the roof & saw a lone figure walking through the street below.

She nudged her brother as she lifted her face to look at him. His face was a mask of impenetrable marble as he watched, not glancing back to his sister. He knew who the man was, one of their father's most trusted allies. She could see her brothers' jaw set as he gave a small nod, loyalty to the Creed meant little when Gemini looked upon the trusted friend of the family.

Gemma didn't say a word as she lifted from her perch to stand at the end. The oldest by six minutes, she took the lead, following the man's drunken swagger down the street, leaping from rooftop to chimney stalk & back down again. She crossed wires that darted across the streets, taking her to the other side of the road while Gemini stuck to the original side. The twins, revenge heavy on their minds, flanked their fathers' killer as he took them away from the center of the city & towards the dock.

Gemma let out an eagle-like cry, & Gemini answered in a caw of his own as their target stopped, looking around as if he were lost. Melding deep within the shadows of the rooftops, the twins crept closer as their target flashed red in both of their eyes. The man must have sensed something, or figured hearing two eagle cries wasn't something so common in Renaissance Italy, especially Venice. He spun, his small beady eyes leaping from shadowy corner to shadowed overhanging. He never saw the twins circle around him from behind, between him & the docks.

They didn't need to say anything, to signal for each other. Their blood sang in their veins as one as together they leapt from the rooftops & landed side by side behind their target. Their landing made no noise, but their shadows suddenly loomed up in front of him so that he turned in shock to look at them both. His eyes traveled from one to the other. Even though he couldn't see their faces, her raven black hair & his strong, lean physique, told him all he needed to know.

"Gemma.. Gemini.. I.." He stuttered, moving to back away from them.

"Requiescat in pace," Gemma said with a grin as her arm shot out & she sliced across his throat with one of her hidden blades, while Gemini's other hand shot forward to stab him deep into the heart with his own hidden blade.

The twins had disappeared into the night long before his body even hit the ground.


	3. Lover & Sister

_**A/N**__: I'm using Borgia characters from The Borgias, not Assassins Creed. Because I think that Cesare is yummier ^.^;_

_**Lover & Sister**_

"You mean to tell me you had him _surrounded_, & he _still _managed to get away from you?"

Cesare Borgia seemed calm as he stood in front of the large window he had thrown open to overlook the city of Venice. His arms crossed tightly over his chest, crushing the black fabric against his skin as his jaw set forward.

The guard kneeling before his makeshift desk kept his head bent low as he tried not to anger Cesare farther. _If I could just sink into the floor, _he thought to himself, closing his eyes tightly as he reset his sweaty grip on the helm to keep it from crashing to the floor.

"Very well then, thank you."

The guard blinked, raising his eyes from the floor to look up at his leader, the leader of the Papal Armies. Cesare Borgia, with his slightly curly black hair & his piercing blue-green eyes gave a nod of his slightly grizzled face from not shaving for a day or two as he moved away from the window back towards the desk.

"Did you want me to have you flogged?"

"N..No, master," the guard stuttered before he moved to stand on his feet & began to back away towards the door.

Cesare waved his hand & sat down heavily into his desk to look over some papers as the guard dashed out, surprised to have survived the encounter. Cesare rolled his eyes as he heard the heavy footsteps clanging away.

"Is everything alright, Brother?"

Lucrezia Borgia asked as she stepped into the room from a side door, moving to stand behind Cesare at his desk while she looked over his shoulder at his papers. Cesare slumped forward at the desk & put his forehead in between his thumb & forefinger while he looked down, quill prepared to write.

"This Assassin.. Business," he groaned, closing his eyes as he felt his sisters' small hands reach forward to place on either shoulder.

He reached up to take one of her hands in his to brush her knuckles against his jawline.

"Ezio is still running around, causing mayhem & chaos against us, rallying for our heads. We had him cornered yesterday, but as usual he slipped through our grasp at the very last second."

His hand fell from where he had it held up to slam at the desk.

"Then, Julius was murdered last night."

"The spy from Sicily?" Lucrezia asked, turning her face to look upon her brothers.

"Why are you worried about him?"

"He had more information, about the twins. If Ezio scares me, then they terrify me. & it looks like he was killed by them. A slit throat & a stab through the heart, that's their trademark almost. A stamp of identification. But how does one identify a shadow?"

Cesare leaned back in his regal looking chair as he closed his eyes while Lucrezia began running her hands over his shoulders.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, Brother," she smiled, leaning forward to place her pouty lips to his cheek.

"They'll never get to you as long as our Father is around," she withdrew from him & headed back towards the door she came through.

"I think I'd like to go back to Roma, Brother. The air here is far too salty."

Cesare arched a brow but gave a nod as he looked up to watch her leave. He gave a sigh, looking back out the window of his chamber towards the sea. He just missed the flash of a black & red clad female leaping from one rooftop to another out of his sight.

..:*:..

Gemma loved free-running across the rooftops of any city she happened to be in. Growing up as a child, she was often found on a roof somewhere when she was in trouble or hiding from someone. It was an amazing way to exercise & work on her skill.

She jumped from building to building; tossing throwing knives into any archer she saw was too close to her. Guards she cared little about, dispatching one was easy to forget about as she moved. They worked towards the wrong purpose, they didn't protect the people. They protected the corrupt. & themselves. Most guards were cowards.

It was hard not to notice that as she got closer & closer to the wealthier district there were more & more guards, even Papal ones. She had heard that Cesare Borgia had stayed behind & only sent the hounds, but upon seeing a heavy guard outside a grand dwelling place, with archers on every rooftop around, she gave a smirk. Seemed as if he hadn't stayed behind after all.

Gemma wanted a closer look. Moving swiftly & silently, the lithe Assassin took out a few archers with her throwing knives before they ran out. Cursing silently, she kept moving, creeping along behind one guard to step up to his back & hold him against her with her black gloved hand across his mouth as she slammed her hidden blade up into his spinal cord, feeling the bones snap & hearing the crunch. She gave a grunt as he went limp in her arms before she took a step to the side & tossed the body over the edge.

The chaos that erupted on the streets below sent a chill up Gemma's spine as she took off while the guards ran in the opposite direction to inspect what was causing all of the problems. The rest of the free-run was a cake walk until she reached up to climb up to an opened window. She crouched on the sill, looking around at the lavishly decorated interior, & the makeshift desk covered in paperwork. She flipped herself into the room & silently made her way towards the table, picking up a piece of paper to inspect it from the desk.

That was when she heard the heavy footsteps pounding towards her, & Cesare's voice barking commands. It appeared as if Ezio had been spotted close by. She grinned, knowing that the body she had dumped had probably caused the ruckus. But the footsteps continued to pound closer, & Gemma was forced to duck into the shadows, not having enough time to dive out the window & escape. She watched as Cesare slammed the door shut & twisted the lock before moving to the opened window to do the same after a long look outside. Trapped, with nowhere for either of them to run, Gemma took a deep breath & stepped out from the shadows.

"You..!"

Cesare started to shout, but Gemma put her hands out on either side of her hips to show him she held no weapons. She had them, sure, but none in her hands. Her voice was soft as she spoke.

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. Hush now," she smiled, stepping closer.

He swallowed the lump in his throat as he backed up into the door, nodding a bit. It made sense, he knew. He knew all about her, had heard most of her stories.

But this was the first time he set eyes on the assassin Gemma. They slowly swept her body, from her guarded shins up to her bare knees & thighs, to the black skirt that covered curvy hips, to the corset that gave her the appearance of an hour glass. Then her neckline, that neckline that clung to the swell of her breasts & showed off the dip of skin between them. Black hair framed them that hung down in small waves from under the shadow of the cowl. Cesare slowly licked his lips as his eyes finally reached the shadow that hid her face from him except for the small jawline & the curve of her cheek.

"I would see more of you," he said carefully as she stepped forward again.

"You've already seen more of me than most," was her response as she stopped just out of arms reach from him.

"Open the window, it wasn't Ezio," she smirked with her command, & he moved to do as she wished, providing her with an exit.

"You cause a lot of problems for us," she scolded lightly as she continued to smirk, her feet gliding her towards him.

"How do you know you can trust me?"

He scoffed a bit at her question, watching her arms carefully. He knew that those black & red gloves concealed her most deadliest weapon.

"You're just a girl. & I'm a warrior," he answered with a small laugh.

"& if my brother were here? Waiting in the shadows? Or even Ezio?"

She saw the look of fear flicker across his eye, which caused her great pleasure. But she couldn't deny that as much of a hated enemy, Templar scum, as he was, she was attracted to him. He was gorgeous; no one could deny him that. As she watched him as carefully as he watched her, she saw his arm flinch for something behind him.

That was enough for Gemma to take action. She leapt forward at him & knocked him back against a large bookshelf as her thighs gripped into his hips, holding herself up. She pulled her fist back as he caught her around the waist, holding her body against his while her hidden blade popped out & slammed into the spine of the book inches from his neck. He gave a grunt & spun, pushing her into the bookshelf tightly with his hips. There was a moment of stillness as their eyes locked & their chests rose & fell heavily with the activity. Gemma's eyes swept Cesare's face from his eyes to his lips, then back again. Her blade never retracted as she reached for his neck & she closed her eyes. Her palm flattened, pressing the flattened side of her blade to the back of his neck as she pulled his face towards her to crush his lips against hers. He gave a moan against her & pushed his hips harder into hers as his lips parted & his tongue brushed across her bottom lip, teasing for her to part her lips to accept his tongue into her mouth.

"Brother, are you ok? I heard a struggle.."

Came a voice from behind a door Gemma hadn't even noticed. She shoved him heavily away & ran right past Lucrezia as she entered the room to dive out the window. Her body flipped as she fell towards a ledge, landing in a three pointed crouch before she picked herself up & dashed over the rooftops to escape.

..::*::..

Gemma stood at the market place, breathing heavily with a hand on her chest after the mad dash away from Cesare's hiding spot in the city, her back against a wall & her eyes fluttering shut from the exhaustion, & the rush. Being caught like that by none other than Cesare's sister was thrilling, she had heard tales that the two were lovers.

Gemma smirked as she finally calmed her racing heart & pushed away from the wall to walk calmly through the streets. Her head bent low as she kept a low profile, no doubt having pissed off the dear lady Lucrezia by being found so intimately with her brother. She prayed the bitch would come after her, give Gemma a bit of sport.

As Gemma walked, she began to check her pouches, looking to make sure she had all she needed. Her throwing knives were all gone, having been used on her curiosity dash to see if Cesare was in Venice or not. She cursed under her breath, but the reminder of feeling his hips crushed tightly against hers caused her heart to skip a few beats & the air to grow slightly hotter around her. She shook her head slightly as she headed towards the Blacksmith to refill her ammunition

As she rounded the corner, she gave a start to see a familiar figure cloaked in all white. She grit her teeth slightly as she moved forward to approach her brother, stepping up behind him & setting a hand on his shoulder. He turned with a start, looking at her with a large amount of curiosity.

"Where have you been?"

His question caused a flush to color Gemma's cheeks as she looked towards the blacksmith. She lifted her hand to catch the burly man behind the counters attention.

"Twenty-five throwing knives, please," she smiled sweetly as she lowered the required amount of florins down on the counter.

"Twenty-five throwing—didn't I just buy you a set this morning? Where have you been?"

Gemini demanded again as Gemma reached forward to pull the knives towards her to fill her pouch with them.

"Free-running, Gem, relax," she answered calmly, turning her face up to look at him with her big bright blue eyes.

Gemini glared back but huffed & turned from her, not bringing it up again as he expected her to follow him. She did after giving him a head start, letting him lead the way.

"I have met with Ezio," Gemini said as her stride finally met his.

His words caused her to stop dead in her tracks for a few seconds, giving him another head start before she shook her head to follow him again. Ezio. His memory, too, left a small smile on her face. She remembered when she had last seen him during Carnevale the first time they had entered the city. She wondered to herself if he still kept her mask.

"We are going to travel to Roma with him, see that he makes it there safely. He is being marked as a Master," Gemini continued, not noticing the slight look of daydream on Gemma's face.

"Did he suspect who you were?"

"He looked at me with scrutiny, especially my eyes. & he demanded I show him my hair, which was rather.. Unnerving," Gemini shook his head slightly before he narrowed his brows & turned to his sister.

"Oh, Gemma, you didn't."

"Surely I don't know what you mean, Brother," Gemma smirked before she bounced ahead of him, disappearing deep into the crowd to inspire her brother to seek her out.


	4. The Brotherhood

_**The Brotherhood**_

Finally, Gemini had caught up with his sister after a long day of hide & seek, just as the sun was setting. He reached out to grab her shoulder roughly, dragging her backwards to him to press her back into his chest. But Gemma was quick, a better Assassin than most he knew, even surpassing himself. As he pulled her backwards, her hands shot up to grip his wrist as she lifted & twisted it while twisting away from his body & yanking his wrist downward to threaten his arm to break.

"Alright, Gemma, enough!" He exclaimed, kicking his leg out to sweep her knees out from under her. She gave a squeal as she fell backwards & landed on her backside before she flipped herself backwards & launched herself onto her brothers' back, setting a hidden blade across his throat with a triumphant giggle.

"I win," she beamed before she hopped down, retracting her blade carefully from his skin.

"Like always," Gemini finished, picking himself up from the crouched position she had pushed him into while dusting off the white of his cape. "We should get going, it's getting late," Gemini nodded towards the disappearing sun.

Gemma gave a nod & allowed him to lead her towards the Assassins safe house, which was apparently where they would be staying until Ezio was ready to leave. She stepped inside with a slight amount of apprehension, but even more excitement to see him again. With his smoldering brown eyes, rugged facial hair & cocky smirk, he was more than good looking. But her grin fell as she saw not the Italian Renaissance hunk, but rather Lorenzo de Medici, standing in the center of the room alone.

"This must be your sister, Gemini," Lorenzo smiled with his almost reptilian like features as he crossed the room to take her into his arms to brush the cowl back from her crown. "She is as stunning as he described," he whispered a bit, causing Gemma to grow uncomfortable to pull herself out of his grasp.

"A rare beauty," came a voice from behind Gemini by the door, that caused the twins to turn & Lorenzo to look up.

Ezio Auditore stood there, only his smirk showing from under the shadow of his cowl. Gemma blushed, aware of three pairs of eyes on her. & one was that of her brothers. Lorenzo, catching Gemma's deep blush, gave a rare sound of amusement before he cleared his throat.

"Perhaps I show the twins to their rooms for the night, _Maestro_," he suggested, taking a candelabra to help light their way.

"_Si_, of course," Ezio nodded as he stepped into the room more & pushed back his cowl.

"The place is yours as long as you are here," he smiled to both of the twins before he started to pull off the multiple weapons strapped to his body. "I only ask that you treat it as you would your own home," he finished with his words, but kept his back to them as he moved to a table to lay out his weapons.

His eyes lifted to look at the mask that still sat on the shelf, before he looked out of the corner of his eye at its owner, who was following Lorenzo into the Creeds stronghold of Venice.

..::*::..

"For the Lady Razanti," Lorenzo smiled his slithering smile as he pushed open a door marked with the Assassins Symbol carved into the wood before he stepped aside to allow Gemma to inspect the heavily candle-lit room beyond.

To say it was modest would be an understatement, lavish even more so. The room was done impeccably & richly done with heavy tapestries covering the windows & the bed frame. There were two thick chairs facing a roaring fire, & the bed was done in dark, intricately carved wood & covered in thick pillows & blankets. Thick Persian rugs covered the flagstone floor to keep off the chill.

"I hope it's to your liking," Lorenzo said as Gemma didn't say anything as she moved into the room & spun around to take all of it in.

"It's more than suitable," was all she replied before Lorenzo nodded his head & pulled the door shut to allow her some privacy.

"& where does _Maestro_ Ezio sleep?" Gemini asked as the two headed down the hall a ways.

"Closer to your room, _Signori_, don't worry."

"Ah," Gemini nodded, before he was shown to an equally lavish room.

"Good night, Lord Razanti," Lorenzo nodded before he pulled the door closed on Gemini as well.

..::*::..

As soon as the door closed behind Lorenzo & her brother, Gemma crossed over to a short table to begin to pull off the assorted weapons hiding all around her body. She laid out her whip carefully, followed by the scepter, then her myriad of throwing knives, poison darts, & stiletto knives.

Being completely disarmed was never a feeling that sat too well with Gemma, so she picked up one of her stilettos & carried it to the side of the bed she decided she would sleep on & buried it under her pillows. Nodding to herself, she went about pulling off the heavy cowl & attached cape to lay them out carefully across one of the chairs. As she lifted her fingers to her back, there was a soft knock at her door. She dropped her hands from the string on the back of her bodice & crossed over to the door, figuring her twin wanted to say good night, or something. But when she opened the heavy wooden door, it was Ezio who was looking back at her.

"_Madonna_," he grinned, not giving her the chance to invite him in as he stepped past her & into her rooms. "Is the room to your liking?" He asked, turning to face her as she closed the door behind him after checking to make sure her brother hadn't seen him sneaking into her room. She had a feeling Gemini wouldn't appreciate that much.

"_Si_, _grazie_," Gemma grinned before she moved forward to face him, gripping the back of one of the chairs in front of the fire with slight nervousness.

As a woman of eighteen, she shouldn't have been embarrassed to be in her rooms alone with a man. By all accounts, she should have been married by then with a flock of children. But her father had done a sensible thing for his family, & raised his twins to be the same, Assassins in the Creed. When she was ready to marry, she would. Leo Razanti would never see his daughter sold at a cattle market, even though she was of noble blood.

But standing in the candlelight with Ezio Auditore, a known womanizer & a lover of debauchery outside of mercilessly slaughtering Templars, Gemma found herself gripping even tighter at the chair. Harmless flirting had never hurt anyone. But this crossed the grounds of being dangerous. Which may have excited her all the more.

"I have been looking all over the city for you," Ezio admitted as he stepped closer.

No longer in his own cowl & cape, & undressed of all weapons except for the leather vambraces at his arms that concealed his hidden blades, he was less intimidating. Yet her heart still thundered loudly in her ears as he came closer to her. "Had I known you were an Assassin, it may have been an easier hunt, _mia cara_," Ezio grinned as he reached his hand out to cup the side of her face in his palm.

She leaned her face into the strong, calloused hand, which gave Ezio some courage. Face down armies, he had done. Take out guards without batting an eyelash, check. But looking down at this feminine Assassin, whose reputation in her homeland had been equal if not greater than his own, caused butterflies to swell up in his stomach as he found himself being pulled into her cyan colored eyes framed with her long eyelashes.

The rest of Gemma Razanti was exquisite, but her eyes were what caught him in the first place & drew him in like a moth to the flame. So deep & exotic, like endless pools of the clearest water he had ever seen. Staring into them in the light of the fire, he could feel his knees weakening, a feeling the Master Assassin was clearly not used to.

"Gemma," he whispered to her silence as she tilted her head back to look up at him, her lips parted slightly.

His eyes lowered to catch sight of her lower lip tremble ever so slightly before he glanced back up & slowly began to lower his face to hers. She could feel her heart skip before its rate accelerated, & she knew he could hear it. She caught the slightest curl of the corner of his lip just before.. There was a knock at the door.

"_Merde_," Ezio cursed before he pulled away from her quickly & dipped into the shadows of her bedroom to hide while she tried to catch her breath.

Steeling herself after glaring at the door then checking to make sure Ezio was concealed, she huffed & moved across the floor to open the door a crack & peek out to find Gemini standing at the threshold.

"Just wanted to make sure you were alright," he smiled, but saw how she was keeping him from looking past her & into the room.

"Yes, I have everything I need, Gem. You should get some rest," she tried to smile but it seemed forced & he could see the flush lingering on her cheeks.

"Gemma, what is going on?" He could see through her like glass. She tried for another smile, but he only pushed past her into the room. He looked over to the table, where all of her equipment was laid out & then looked back over his shoulder at her. "You're not thinking about going out again tonight, are you?" His tone wasn't accusatory, but curious & worried. He didn't see Ezio hiding in the shadows.

"Do you think it's a bad idea?"

She was floored that he hadn't expected to catch her with Ezio, whom he was obviously concerned with, but rather whether or not she was staying in or not. She closed her eyes for a second to thank whoever was listening for her brothers' innocence.

"Yes, I think it's a poor decision. Stay in tonight, we can go out tomorrow," he smiled, moving forward to kiss his sister lightly on the cheek.

"Good night," she responded, & moved to the door to close the door behind him as he slunk back into the hallway.

She gave a soft sigh as she leaned back against the door & watched Ezio step back out of the shadows. He looked tentative as he stepped forward to approach her again, so she gave him a warm smile, which inflated back his ego to where it usually was, & his steps were bold as he crossed the room to her. He reached out with his strong arm & wrapped it around her lower waist as he pulled her to him. Not wanting to risk missing another chance, he dipped his head down, his long dark hair tickling the sides of her face, & pressed his lips against hers softly as her eyes closed.

It lacked the intensity of the kiss she took from Cesare, the sudden flush of heat through her body. Not to say it wasn't exceptional in its own right. It warmed Gemma from the inside out slowly, taking its time like stepping up to the fire after being outside for too long on a cold, rainy day. She lifted one of her hands to snake around his neck as his head tilted slightly to the side, while the other reached up to press against his chest. His arm pulled her even closer while the other lifted to bury itself deep into her hair.

Ezio was safe, a match her father would have approved of if he were alive. A young, handsome, noble Master Assassin, any parent would have been thrilled to call Ezio Auditore a member of their family. But Cesare, Cesare was dangerous, & her feelings for him felt wrong. Maybe that was why she was so attracted to him, to the danger & the threat.

While kissing Ezio, something she had dreamed of doing since arriving in Venice, all she could think about was Cesare.

At first.

Lost deep in her thoughts of the scene earlier with the Borgia, she had barely noticed that Ezio had moved her back towards the bed until the back of her knees hit the mattress. She sank down on to the bed, pulling her lips away from Ezio as she did so while he climbed into the bed on top of her, pushing her down onto her back as he nuzzled his mouth to her neck with soft, delicate kisses. She blinked, looking up at the shadows dancing on the ceiling from the multiple sources of open flames before she lifted her hands to pull Ezio down tightly against her, with one hand in his hair & the other on his shoulder. His weight crushed heavily down on her as he tried to keep the majority of it off with one arm on the bed while the other blindly felt the curves of her body slowly, as if memorizing them for a test.

The feeling of being with Ezio finally kicked in as her heart began to race again & her breath caught in her throat before she gave a soft moan as his hand slid over her hip & to her outer thigh. He grabbed at the bare skin just below her skirt & picked up her leg to press it against his side as his lips lifted from her neck to drop down to her exposed collar bone before he slowly lowered his tongue to her skin & dragged it along the curve of her neck up to her earlobe, where he let off a breathy whisper. "I have been dreaming of you for a long time, _Madonna_."

Gemma's back arched from his words & the way his breath moved across her skin. With her thigh pressed tightly against his side, Ezio's hand began to slip under her skirt & downwards towards her hip. His hand continued on & was not met with any fabrics in the way of him besides her skirt; he let out a moan of excitement knowing that she was bare beneath the short fabric. She gave a small shiver under him before she reached out & grabbed his wrist, her fingers gripping the leather vambrace of his hidden blade.

"Ezio, I can't do this," she whispered, closing her eyes & looking away from him in embarrassment.

Gemma had never been touched the way he was touching her now, she was far too busy for courting & things other, normal girls did. She'd give up all of her skills with her blades & her whip for the chance to have what was needed to let him continue. Her cheeks flared with heat as she waited for him to pull away, to mock her, something that would humiliate her & make the journey into Rome complete & utter hell.

Gemma felt a soft, tender kiss brush her cheek as she felt the pressure of his weight lift off her chest slowly, reluctantly. She opened her eyes slowly before she turned her head to see his understanding smile as he looked down at her.

"We have all the time in the world, _Madonna_," he whispered, leaning down to bury his face into her hair. She smelled of lemons, mint & Cyprus tress. His mouth watered, & he could practically feel his length aching to be exposed & touched by her, but he refrained himself & pulled away to catch her watching him with curiosity.

"You did not think I could be so understanding?" He asked with a laugh, leaning forward to nip her lower lip lightly before he rolled off of her.

"It's only that you barely know me, & I you," she explained sheepishly, leaning forward to kiss his cheek gently.

He gave her a soft smile before he moved to stand so she could as well, before he opened the wardrobe for her to reveal a fair amount of dresses, including one for sleep. They all seemed to be in her size, so she crossed over him to pick up the dressing gown & watched him turn his back for her. She blushed, but quickly went about unstrapping her belt & tossing it to the bed before once more she lifted her fingers to the back of her bodice to untie the strings holding the black leather to her skin. Once it was off, she pulled at the black & red trimmed dress, over her head, & blushed deeply as she stood there completely naked except for her own hidden blade wristlets & her greaves. She pulled the thin white fabric of the nightgown over her head before clearing her throat slightly to indicate to him that it was safe to turn around as she lowered herself to bed.

"I did not realize how… sheer that would look on you," he admitted with a blush of his own olive colored cheeks as he looked at her body through the fabric. She blushed deep red across her porcelain skin before she lifted her feet to the bed to undo the armor & drop it to the floor, followed by her heeled black leather boots. Finally, she pulled off her gloves. Once free of her ensemble, she laid it all out carefully on the same chair her cape was hanging on, all of her weapons & armor in easy reach in case something happened in her sleep. That was a habit her father instilled into her, something she'd always do for the rest of her life. _Never be caught asleep unprepared_, he told her as he tucked her in for bed at night as a little girl. It hadn't been long ago that she still kissed his cheek to say good night. But, if he had, then maybe she wouldn't be here, about to climb into bed with Ezio Auditore, one of the most desired bachelors of all of _Italia_.

Gemma lowered herself into bed after arranging her possessions just so, & watched him take off his black, red, gray & white robes of his father, followed by the white tunic he wore underneath. He left on his leggings, but removed his boots, belt, & hidden blades, resting these items next to hers ritualistically.

She looked over his body as he moved in the light of the candles & fire, biting on the corner of her lip softly. Cesare Borgia was completely cleared of her mind as she saw the cut of Ezio's muscles, the way his muscles cut into a V shape down his hips into his pants, where she couldn't see. She wanted to, more than anything at that point. Before crossing to her to join her in the bed, which clearly he was going to, he picked up one of her stiletto knives & twisted it in his fingers expertly, testing its weight & balance before nodding to himself. It seemed satisfactory to his likings as he crossed over to the other side of the bed, & as she did, buried the knife under the pillow. He took the side closest to the door, & she the safety of the window exit.

Ezio laid himself out in bed, sliding across the mattress to lay beside her, wrapping his arms back around her to pull her against him, where she stayed nestled against his bare chest, tracing his scars idly as they swapped stories back & forth, entertaining the other with their past, their ideas, & their hopes & dreams for a peaceful future. Or a long & happy life, neither of which was something an Assassin expected of their life but hoped for.

..::*::..

They talked until long after the sun had shone itself under the wooden shutters of the window, trying to sneak a glimpse at the two. Gemma had never felt as if anyone had understood her, besides her twin. But Ezio seemed to follow along fine on his own, guess her feelings, & offer his comfort when needed. She hadn't felt close to anyone like this before.

Cesare Borgia, who?


	5. Sleepless Night

_**Sleepless Night**_

It had taken Cesare a long time to finally soothe Lucrezia after watching the Assassin fly past & dive out of a window. She saw the destroyed book that had suffered a blade to the spine, & also had noticed the bulge that had protruded from the front of her brothers leggings as he stood there, watching the Assassin run off with heaving gulps of air. She knew him, sometimes better than he knew himself.

When she had finally heard Cesare's peaceful snores from the next room was when she slipped out of her own bed & pulled a heavy cloak over her nightgown. She slipped her feet into some soft slippers before she slipped out into the hallway. She smiled at all of the guards keeping watch, having the appearance of being unable to sleep & just out for a stroll as she moved throughout the large estate of Venice.

But when she reached the kitchen, she found a servant sleeping in a corner. She kicked the smaller boy awake only to smile in delight as he gave a small yelp before seeing who was standing in front of him. He jumped to his feet & bowed quickly. "Lady Lucrezia, _scusi_," he muttered, keeping himself low.

She waved her hand through the air as he relaxed. "Forget all that, I need you to gather some information for me. On a female Assassin, who wears black & red," Lucrezia gave a grin as she held out a small coin pouch from under her cloak that tinkled as she shook it.

"I want to know who she is, where she's from, & why she's here. & anything else you can dig up," Lucrezia grinned as she tossed him the purse. "Be discreet, do not let my brother catch you," she gave her final warning before she turned to head back up to her rooms slowly, a cat-like grin spreading across her face as she moved.

..::*::..

He heard his sister leaving her room, & immediately stopped feigning snores. Cesare Borgia rolled over onto his side & opened his eyes to stare into the darkness.

The night had been quiet, so very quiet. No calls of "Assassino," & no sounds of the female assassin, Gemma, since she had dove out of his window. Cesare gave a heavy sigh & rolled onto his back. He couldn't sleep. All he could do was think about her. Those bright eyes, those soft lips; he could feel them pressed to his lips again as he replayed the memory over & over again.

Where had she gone? What was she doing? He couldn't stop thinking about her thighs pressing into his hips as she threw herself at him, intent on a killing strike. Then the hunter left her, & what remained was a gorgeous woman who wanted him. Him! He didn't deserve her.

No, he did deserve her. He sighed in the night as he tried to close his eyes for sleep, but her visage remained imprinted behind his eyelids, as if scoured into his retinas. She wouldn't let him rest. He could remember how her muscles softened under him as she kissed him, how her eyes lost their malicious glint.

He wouldn't find solace in the dark until he found her again.

..::*::..

"_Madonna_," Ezio breathed softly against the curve of Gemma's neck. Gemma blinked a few times to wake herself up. Not long before, she must have fallen asleep with her head against his chest, listening to the deep rumble of his voice & the steadiness of his breathing. Slowly she stretched her sleep numbed muscles before she pulled back slightly from Ezio & gave him a soft smile.

"_Buono sera_," he smiled, seeing her bright eyes finally focus on him.

"Is it afternoon already?"

"_Si_, you slept through breakfast," Ezio said gingerly, lifting his hand up to brush some stray black curls from her face. "Though so did I," he said with a slow forming grin.

"I'm sure my brother will be wondering why we're both missing," Gemma said before she slowly pulled herself out of his arms & rolled so she could put her feet on the cool floor. She looked over her shoulder quickly, as she had felt Ezio move, prepared to defend herself from his attack.

But it was no attack. Ezio grabbed her around her waist & hauled her back into the bed to fall underneath of him. "Stay, it is far too early to leave such a warm place."

His hips moved to lower his thighs between hers, which readily moved to allow him into such an intimate place as he lowered his face down to her neck, placing small kisses along her throat slowly. She gave a small noise of satisfaction as she moved her hands up to feel along his torso slowly. He returned the noise with a moan of his own as his hips pressed tighter into hers. He pulled his head back, but only so that he could lower his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss as her hips lifted to meet his own in one of their downfalls into her. She could feel his length grow against her inner thigh under his pants & through the thin fabric of her night dress as her back arched slightly under him. His hand lifted to bury into her hair as he let out a sigh of passion & contentment into her lips before his tongue snaked out to part her lips so he could taste more of her.

So wrapped up in the moment, in each other, neither of the Assassins heard the door swing open & a gasp of shock ring out through the air.


	6. The Exodus Home

_**The Exodus Home**_

"Gemma, _Maestro_," came the hurried voice of La Volpe as he quickly closed the door behind him as he stepped into Gemma's room, looking away from the two but clearly trying to get their attention.

Ezio gave a groan as he pulled away & rolled from Gemma, who was much more surprised & humbled by the experience. She grabbed the sheets & pulled them up around her neck as her cyan colored eyes flicked from Ezio to La Volpe.

"_Signora, scusi_," La Volpe said as he bowed respectfully towards Gemma, who flushed crimson at the intrusion. "But your brother is looking for both of you. He believes you to be together, he is not happy."

Ezio moved from the bed before Gemma could even blink. "Distract him," he pointed to the door & La Volpe bowed again before he scrambled out into the hallway.

Ezio moved quickly, pulling his gear on as Gemma scrambled from the bed, helping him & hurrying him along. He was dressed in an instant before he moved to the window; she was right on his heels. He threw open the wooden shutter before he climbed up onto the sill & turned in a crouch, looking down at her with a wicked grin.

"Do you always fly out of young ladies bedrooms soon after waking up?" Gemma asked, slightly breathless as she moved to the sill, placing her hands on the stones on either side of his feet.

"When their families seem so determined to keep us apart, _si_," Ezio grinned before he lowered his hand down to cup her cheek. "_Buono sera, Madonna_," he said softly as he lowered his face down to hers to give a chaste kiss to her cheek.

Gemma flushed madly, but heard the door swing open again. She knew she had few precious moments left, so she lifted her hand to the center of Ezio's chest & gave him a light push just as she heard her brothers' familiar voice.

"Oh good, you're finally awake," he said as he moved into the room, looking around for any telltale signs of her having someone else in her chambers. He seemed satisfied that there hadn't been, so as she finally stepped away from the window, he picked up her scepter.

"Come, get dressed. We'll go free-running together." He set down her weapon, his instructions obvious, as he made way to leave the room. As soon as the door shut, Gemma let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

..::*::..

Cesare was finally able to let sleep claim him, though it was the briefest of hours that had passed. He finally pulled himself from his bed as he heard the unmistakable sound of armor clanging around. He began to get dressed slowly into his usual "casual" dress of black leggings, a white ruffled shirt under a black tunic. He set the leather of his belt around his hips, ensuring he was never without sword or dagger before he stepped out of his rooms to find the estate he was occupying in _Venezia_ a flurry of activity. What had he missed?

"You there!" Cesare pointed for one of his guards, who was large underneath the thick armor that covered his entire body. "What is going on?"

"The Lady Lucrezia wishes to return to _Roma_," the guard said as he moved to kneel in front of Cesare.

"Now?" Cesare hissed, looking around at the absolute madness the estate had turned into. "Si, my lord. Now."

Cesare waved him off as he rolled his blue-green eyes, looking up at the ceiling for a few moments while his jaw set in annoyance. He had been so close to catching Ezio. & of course, there was the other Assassin to think of, Gemma. But Lucrezia wanted to leave. Would he let her go unescorted? Of course not, he would have to go with her.

He finally brought his attention back down from the ceiling & started moving through the corridors to finally find his sister amidst the chaos. "Good morning, Lucrezia," he started, unable to keep out the disdain & annoyance at his sisters flippant ways from his voice. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I miss Father, & I told you that the air is too salty here," Lucrezia returned, looking over Cesare with an equal amount of disdain. She was angry with him, over the assassin business. If she only knew who the assassin was, it'd probably put her in an early grave.

"So we leave, because you'd rather not protect Father from these Assassins but rather bring them to our doorstep? Most wise, Sister." Cesare crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at her in the light the opened window threw down on her. She looked like an angel as the light bathed her from behind to set her blonde to glow, almost looking like a halo. He knew better. This was no angel before him, she was a dangerous creature, almost as dangerous as himself.

"Come now, Cesare. We can't stay here forever. The Assassins aren't even a threat to our power," Lucrezia said in trying to soothe him, moving forward to put her hand on his bicep as she lifted her face for him to kiss. Much to her dismay, he pulled away. Her face set into a frown as she, too, pulled back. What was this? Her Brother never treated her coldly.

"That is where you're wrong, Lucrezia. They aren't something we can just wish away." Cesare turned & moved from the room, leaving Lucrezia standing there with her mouth in a perfect O.

..::*::..

Gemma finally stepped out from her bedroom, dressed in her normal Assassins gear & not one of the many dressed found in the wardrobe. Gemma wasn't a dress type of girl; she preferred the sensation of freedom a short dress gave her, allowing her legs to move with larger strides as she ran. There were still times in which she was forced to wear a full dress, but only when she had no choice.

She followed the labyrinthine curves of the hallways that she remembered from the night before until she finally found the main room of the Assassin's hideout. Gemini sat at a long table in front of an empty plate. She wasn't surprised; she knew how much he could eat when he really wanted to. He glanced up to her to see her smiling affectionately at him before he stood up.

"Finally," he smirked, moving forward to kiss her cheek. "Takes you forever to get ready, I think I've aged a year." He was teasing her, she knew, so it caused her to smile even wider. "Not all of us are so naturally adorable first thing in the morning," she countered, moving forward to grab at his ticklish sides.

"You call this morning?" Lorenzo asked as he walked into the main room from another doorway, holding a bowl of grapes while watching the twins tease each other playfully. Gemma's eyes lit up at the sight of the grapes & moved forward to pluck some out of the bowl. Lorenzo didn't mind, he set the bowl on the table for himself to share with Gemma as he took a seat. Gemma & Gemini followed suit.

"It's close enough to morning," Gemma responded, popping a few grapes into her mouth. Unlike her brother, she didn't seem to eat much. It had been a family joke that her brother got the stomach that must have been meant to be shared between the two.

"It is far from close enough," Lorenzo laughed a bit as he took a handful of grapes himself, looking over at the twins with akin to happiness. He knew that Ezio had been searching for this female sitting in front of him. Now that she was here, & oddly enough as Assassin, he knew they could get on the move to Roma.

None of them had heard the door to the safe house open, or Ezio stride calmly into the room. "On the contrary, Lorenzo, the day has barely begun," he said as the three heads snapped up, all attention drawn to Ezio. He had that effect. Gemma's cheeks flushed bright red just at the sight of him, looking so powerful standing there, his pose relaxed but still showing off his muscles & his confidence. She was glad that no one was paying attention to her. She lowered her gaze to focus on the grapes.

"Finally, _Maestro_," Lorenzo huffed as he stood, followed by Gemini, showing Ezio the proper amount of respect. "We must speak briefly."

"Whatever you have to say to me, can be said before our guests." Ezio stepped fully into the room & took the chair besides Gemma. Under the table, his hand found her knee & gave it a slight squeeze. Gemma flushed even more, covering it by eating a few more grapes with her hair falling to hide her face.

Ezio's eyes laughed, but his attention turned to Lorenzo, who watched the hidden interaction with an icy stare. Gemma had been a distraction from day one, & he was worried that she would end up getting Ezio hurt or worse. He cleared his throat a bit, moving to place his elbows onto the table so he could fold his hands in front of him.

"I am going to go to Roma ahead of you, Ezio." Lorenzo looked to Gemma & Gemini slowly. "Make sure it's safe enough, while you make your stop in _Monteriggioni_. I'm sure your Uncle Mario would want to see you before you move out to _Roma_. If it is safe, I will send Niccolo Machiavelli to greet you before I make the journey back home."

"There is also the Codex to consider," Ezio returned, sighing. "I should have returned to Mario earlier. I have found the last page. Hopefully together, the pages will make sense."

"Then we shouldn't waste any more time, Ezio, we need to get moving." Lorenzo stood, upsetting the bowl of grapes. The twins were confused, but they also stood, as did Ezio.

"_Si_, let us prepare for the journey," Ezio said, before he moved past them all to head back to his rooms.


	7. Rough Ride

_**Rough Ride**_

The black stallion Gemma was astride was her own horse; he had traveled from Sicily with the twins as he was most suited for the Assassin. He was a big, burly creature who was prepared for war & didn't flinch away from the shouts or screams of the dying. She never had to urge him on, it was as if he anticipated his riders every move. Gemma loved him, she had named him Diablo. & he was a devil.

Diablo's hooves pounded into the dirt testily as together, they watched Gemini mount his own borrowed steed as Ezio's roan colored horse trotted up to the twins. "He is yours, Gemma?" Ezio asked, indicating towards the black muscled beast between her thighs.

"_Si_, one of Sicily's finest," Gemma said proudly, leaning forward to pat the thick neck of Diablo, who snorted loudly & shook out his mane.

"He looks ready to go, so we'll let him lead," Ezio said with an amused smirk on his face, watching horse & rider interact.

Diablo didn't need much prompting to finally get underway. As soon as Ezio gave the signal for her to go, Diablo took off like a shot down the path that would lead him to _Monteriggioni_. Gemini & Ezio had to urge their horses into a brutal pace just to keep the black stallion in their sights.

"_Merde_, he is quick!" Ezio shouted over the pounding sound of the two slower animals to Gemini. Gemma's twin only grinned, knowing that she & the animal were taking it easy to allow the men to follow along behind. That was until Ezio spotted an arrow whizzing just past Diablo's flank.

Gemini saw it, too, & the two shared a look of fear for the female Assassin, who seemed oblivious to the threat, before they kicked at their horses simultaneously to make them go faster. Fear spurned them on as they raced to try to catch up to Diablo.

Ezio let off an eagle's cry as Gemini shouted out to her, but she was too far ahead. It wasn't until four horses flanked Diablo on either side, making it eight in total, that she realized something was wrong. The riders of the brown war horses were covered head to toe in armor, as were the horses.

Ezio drew his crossbow & sent bolt after bolt into the woods where the arrows aimed for Gemma had come from, outing their position for Ezio to make easy work of them. But they were no longer a threat, the guards trying to knock Gemma from Diablo were. Her only saving grace at this point was that Diablo was faster.

But the reach of the horsemen's mace were enough to try to knock Gemma off of her horse as she tried to get away from them. Diablo understood the distress of his rider & the horse pushed himself faster as Gemma withdrew her own mace tipped scepter.

Ezio's crossbow aimed at one of the farthest flanking horses & he loosed a bolt towards it, nailing the rider just under his helm & above the heavy metaled collar of his armor. The killing blow sent the rider sprawling & spooked the horse, who reared up with a frightened neigh as its heavy hoof struck the horse next to it, right on its hindquarter. The second horse affected by Ezio's mastery grinded to a halt as its head lowered, causing the rider to comically fall over the horses head to be immediately stomped by the passing, spooked animal. The two riderless horses took off into the woods, encouraging Ezio to continue pushing his own steed to the limit to try to catch up, to help Gemma.

Knowing that Ezio & Gemini were riding right behind her caused Gemma a certain amount of calm calculation. She reined Diablo, who slowed down considerably for her to slam her mace into the back of the head of the guard to her right. She wanted to even it out, & leave one rider on each side for her to make work of, so while the rider was dazed, she pushed Diablo to a fast pace again as she cut hard to the right so that Diablo pushed himself right against the war horse. As if he knew what to do, Diablo's sharp teeth snapped out to bite at the neck of the enemy horse, though it was guarded by the metal. The scare worked, & the horse grew uneasy & slammed itself into the friendly horse to its right, causing both horses to entangle their limbs in each other & crashed heavily to the ground.

Gemma gave a short war cry as she was left with two guards to compete with, who both seemed to be out for her blood. But Ezio had urged his horse on enough that he was right behind the last remaining one on the right side. He stood up on the saddle of his horse & launched himself onto the saddle of one guard, his hidden blade slamming into the unprotected neck of the guard before he was able to throw the guard to the ground. He continued on riding the war horse as Gemma looked to him, her eyes alight with excitement. He was amazed, but his grin fell as he watched the guard on the left hand side reach back with his mace, his aim obvious in knocking Gemma in the side of her unprotected temple to send her flying off of Diablo.

A shot rang out, & the guard paused mid-swing, his body seizing up before blood splatter out from behind his helm & he slumped forward on his horse, dead. Gemini finally reached them, smoke still pouring off of his hidden gun attached to his vambrace where his hidden blades sat. Ezio leaned to the side & grabbed the reins to Diablo & pulled heavily so that the three horses could gallop into the woods at the side of the road to escape the main route.

..::*::..

Once Ezio had been confident that the road was safe, going himself to check them, he entered the protection of the woods on his newly acquired war horse & picked his way back to the twins. Gemma sat at the bank of a small river, lowering her hands into the clear water to splash her face, while Gemini watched her back, always guarding her. His sword pulled out of his sheath as he heard Ezio returning long before he saw him, but gave a short nod as the sharp blade slid back into its home when Gemini saw it was only Ezio returning.

"We should set up camp," Gemini said as he stepped up to the war horse to take its reins so Ezio could hop off.

"I disagree. I say we keep pushing. We can make it to Monteriggioni before dawn," Ezio answered, looking up to the darkening sky above the tree line.

"You want to risk being seen by guards again, completely in the dark?" Gemini asked him in an incredulous tone. Ezio seemed to be reckless, which Gemini was the opposite. He liked to plan every move ahead. Ezio was too much like Gemma.

"I agree with Ezio, we should keep moving." Gemma stood from the bank, drying her hands off on the fabric of her skirts. "We'll be sitting ducks if we set up a camp for too long." She crossed over to Diablo & dug something out of one of his saddlebags before she brought her opened palm to his mouth. The horse munched on the offered sugar cubes, hard to come by & expensive, but Gemma knew he loved it.

"I must protest. If one of us stays on watch all night—""We'll be overrun by guards." Gemini was cut off by Ezio. He opened his mouth to argue even farther, but Gemma had mounted Diablo, who gave a snorting whinny.

"We're going, Gem. Unless you want to stay behind," she grimaced to her brother, as she hated to go up against him, but she knew Ezio was right. They had the chance to use the dark as their cover, not their enemy. They had wasted too much time as it was.

"There is the problem of my horse," Ezio stated, reaching out to pat the steel of the armor on his war horse's neck. "I can hardly ride into _Monteriggioni_ on this; I'll be targeted on sight."

Gemma flushed, but scooted farther in her saddle. "You can ride with me, _Maestro_." "Are you sure that's a good idea, Gemma?" Gemini asked, but it was too late, Ezio had already climbed up into the saddle behind her & placed his arms around her thin waist. Diablo snorted as his hooves struck the ground heavily. The horse turned his head so his dark brown, almost black, eyes regarded Ezio with suspicion, it seemed. He wasn't used to the additional weight. But he didn't buck him off, which was a relief to Gemma. She knew her animal was finicky, & only let her near him in such an intimate way. She clucked her tongue approvingly to Diablo, who gave another snort as he looked away, unimpressed. His gaze went to watch Gemini mount the white steed he had purchased in Venice, while Gemma looked over her shoulder at Ezio with a grin, who squeezed his arms around her waist.

"_Madonna_," he breathed against her neck as he closed his eyes, comforted by the closeness of her pleasure. Before he could get too comfortable however, Gemma gave Diablo a soft kick, & the horse raced off towards the road.


End file.
